Image Transmission System with Adaptive Bit Precision Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image transmission systems face challenges in efficiently encoding high-gradation images while maintaining gradation, especially when the application in the subsequent stage varies, as they do not account for different image characteristics or applications beyond CT images.

Innovation Solution

An image transmission system that includes a bit precision information generation unit and a quantization control unit to adjust quantization step width based on processing modes, allowing for flexible bit precision allocation across image regions, thereby optimizing encoding efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If high-precision encoding is performed on all pixels to maintain gradation, then image quality is improved, but encoding amount increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage gradation precisionVSAvoidencoding amount
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating encoding precision across different image regions. Important regions (e.g., areas with edges, textures, or semantic significance) are encoded with high precision to maintain gradation, while less important regions use lower precision encoding. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining image quality where needed while reducing overall encoding amount through selective precision application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the image into multiple regions with different encoding requirements. By dividing the image and applying different quantization parameters to different segments, the system achieves both high gradation preservation in critical areas and reduced encoding amounts in non-critical areas, thereby resolving the contradiction between image quality and encoding efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If a fixed encoding method is used for all images, then encoding simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to different applications is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplication adaptabilityVSAvoidencoding system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic encoding by allowing the encoding parameters (particularly quantization step widths) to change based on the specific application and image content. The system can adaptively adjust encoding precision according to different processing modes (e.g., monitoring, recognition, transmission) without requiring completely different encoding systems, thus achieving application adaptability while controlling complexity through a unified adaptive framework.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes parameter changes by modifying encoding parameters (such as quantization step widths and bit allocation) based on application requirements and image characteristics. This allows the same encoding system to adapt to different applications by changing parameters rather than structure, achieving versatility while maintaining relative simplicity through parameter-based flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS9877026B2Image transmission system
Publication Date: 2018.01.23 MAXELL LTD
  • US9877026B2 patent drawing
  • US9877026B2 patent drawing
  • US9877026B2 patent drawing

AI summary

The image transmission system, which transmits image data from a transmission side and performs image processing at a reception side, is provided with: an image transmission device that encodes an input image and outputs and a bitstream; an image reception device that receives and decodes the bitstream and performs image processing; a bit precision information generation unit that generates bit precision information for each region in the image; a quantization control unit that controls the quantization step width in a quantization process performed in the image transmission device in accordance with the bit precision information generated by the bit precision information generation unit; and an image processing unit that performs image processing using the decoded image that has been decoded by the image reception device. The bit precision information generation unit switches the method for generating bit precision information in accordance with the processing mode of the image processing unit.